Sociopaths and Aspies

Post Reply New Topic

Yes, politics can be a bit nasty at times, and understood as a play on words, meant not as a serious comment.

That's because they are opposites, but at the same time, the brain of an Aspie and the brain of a sociopath are very similar. That's because their brains are the same up to a point, it's just a matter of what direction life takes them. If I was abused or otherwise neglected at about the age of 8? or so onward, I would be a sociopath, and a good one. Instead, I got the things I needed, so I eventually grew out of most of my Asperger's. Most sociopaths are rather helpless, which is why they need other people to do things for them. The really good ones can fend for themselves while still manipulating others.

That is a very interesting theory mindslave...but of course it would not just be a combination of ASD and environment (a lot of Aspies have been seriously abused without ever developing sociopathic traits, and a lot of sociopaths were never abused at all) but rather a combination of ASD, environment and identity.

It is equally possible that sociopathy and non-verbal autism are both coping mechanisms for some kind of baseline inherent ASD...both are different forms of internal isolation after all.

[uote="League_Girl"]Wow, that does sound a lot like AS and I can see why aspies would be mistaken as one. I even feel like one too. I even have a hard time feeling things about stuff that is tragic.[/quote]

I think the reason why I developed such an advanced feeling of caring was because first I was told strictly things that were right and wrong and it was clear why that was so. The second was because I didn't have my emotional compass thumped in by people who refused to think that my complaints and problems didn't matter. It is very easy to adopt a generally uncaring approach when compared to us NTs tend to be somewhat, well, unrigorous.

Seems like there is a contradiction in this. They say sociopaths blame other people or other things for their problems but isn't something that caused their problem. So wtf? Seems like it is perfectly normal for someone to blame others or events for this since it is enviromental. so wtf?

The problem is that it is a pathological need to do so.

I think that was misguided Lost...I don't think sociopaths even grasp the concept of internal blame at all really. After all, if there is no such thing as right and wrong who needs blame? And how do you assess it?

They are very good at excuses though...or...if you like, *external* blame, or perhaps "blame for appearances sake"?

...and the only "problems" sociopaths have are the ones they cause for others.

So your saying that they don't think it is ever their fault for something they did? so yeah i see where you are coming from.

Yeah, seem to feel everything "just happened", like a little kid, they even have this tendency to be a bit, surprised and confused that anyone is upset at all (distorted sense of consequence kicking in)!

That's probably much of the reason why they get away with so much...because they have no sense of wrong at all, so all the non-verbals scream "innocent".

Up to eightyfive percent of people with Aspergers have Alexithymia, a condition where they don't understand their emotions or have shallow emotions. Problems with affective empathy are also considered an issue in some people with Aspergers. From Dr. Hare's Checklist of Symptoms the complete package point states this:

http://www.lovefraud.com/01_whatsaSociopath/key_symptoms_sociopath.htm

.

There are some people with Aspergers identified as having problems feeling affective empathy for humans and feeling strong emotions, although that certainly does not apply to all people that have Aspergers or other ASD's.

The key component in differentiating other social deviance from psychopathy is the inability to feel guilt or remorse. Some scientists suggest there is a biological component that may influence this trait. Some scientists also suggest that biology plays a part in ASD's in difficulties with feeling affective empathy for humans and strong emotion, although environmental influence can affect this also. So yes, brain differences could play a part.

Dr. Hare suggests that only 1 percent of the population share these necessary traits that make up what is considered an actual psychopath, which lacks the ability to feel guilt, remorse, empathy, and strong emotion, along with the other traits he identifies.

There are many more people in the population that share the other traits in the checklist by Dr. Hare that was presented earlier and the diagnostic criteria in the DSMIV accepted for diagnosis of Anti-Social Personality disorder that do feel guilt and remorse. The criteria for AntiSocial personality disorder in the DSMIV covers the key trait for what is considered by Dr. Hare to be required for psychopathy, and other social deviance that do not have the specific impairment with the ability to feel remorse.

From Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remorse



As indicated in this definition there is a difference between the inherent trait of not being able to feel remorse that some identify as an individual that is as a sociopath/psychopath and the inherent inability to feel fear that allows an individual to develop the psychopathic traits we often associate with psychopaths.

When I say "abused or otherwise neglected" I'm referring to whatever diverted path I would have had to follow in order to turn out like that. Now, even if everything turned out that way, I wouldn't be the top dog in the Sociopath Mafia, because genetically I'm just not there. I don't have enough muscle mass and I'm too uncoordinated to be aggressive enough to be called a psychopath. Think of the best athletes out there. Every single day affects the way they turned out. Genetics have to play a part in psychopathy the same way they do with athletes, because there is a lot of aggression involved. The Napoleon Complex that affects a lot of short guys probably has something to do with having a strong base, whereas I'm tall and lanky, which doesn't bode well for fighting or other forms of physical aggression. Guys like that always have short stubby fingers. Maybe because I have long fingers, I have less of a genetic need for aggression because my hands are better suited for foraging and stuff.

For reasons I am not going to go into, there is no room in my mind for doubt that psychopathy is primarily genetic in origin. A psychopath is born and not made. But there could be other factors at play that either create conditions that ape psychopathy, or combine to repress psychopathy. One other thing I am very sure of is that you cannot cure a psychopath, which tends to indicate a congenital condition.

Also psychopathy is not all about overt aggression, a controlled psychopath may never show any kind of aggression at all. A lot of psychopaths just play mind games and manipulate...you don't need muscles for that.

If you lacked the ability to feel remorse that could put you in the category. The lack of fear is what allows some to engage in the psychopathic behavior that is stereotyped with psychopaths. Testosterone is linked to muscle mass, aggression, and psychopathy also. Fear levels and empathy levels are reduced in those with high testosterone levels, statistically.

Interestingly when a child is born in a family the father's testosterone levels will naturally reduce to enhance the nuturing aspects that come with greater levels of empathy and lower levels of testosterone. Oxytocin levels normally rise.

Not to say here that high levels of testosterone cause psychopathy, but you won't see too many non-aggressive individuals on front line combat that can control their empathy and fear well enough to kill another human being. Of course, it's not psychopathic behavior to kill in combat because it is accepted within society; pride is often felt rather than remorse.

Do it on the streets to innocent victims, with no ability to feel remorse, and that puts one in the category of psychopath and psychopathic behavior.

What is socially acceptable within the culture the person lives in plays a part of this in the new DSMV criteria. One can meet the traits, but if they are considered acceptable in society, as many of the traits are required in combat to survive, one does not meet a diagnosis of Anti-Social Personality Disorder.

In an earlier post we made a bit of jest about politicians and CEO's, but in the general community it is acknowledged that these individuals actually do share some of the traits associated with Anti-Social Personality Disorder. Are they psychopaths; not likely, they would likely feel guilt and remorse if they accidentally ran over their pet dog. Whereas a true psychopath by accepted definition wouldn't be able to feel that remorse.

Unless you can imagine doing that and feeling no remorse or guilt, you wouldn't meet the widely accepted definition of a sociopath/psychopath as one who has the inability to feel guilt or remorse.

The dog story, I think puts psychopath, in proper perspective, as compared to all of the other individuals that are diagnosed with Anti-Social Personality Disorder. While the combat soldier might feel pride in accomplishing his mission in killing the enemy, that is part of the socio-norm, not many if any would feel no remorse or guilt if they ran over their dog.

It is possible for people diagnosed with Aspergers to display some of the traits of Anti-Social Personality behavior; even psychopathic behavior. Horrible environmental factors can do horrible things to the Human psyche, creating completely blunted emotions, including the fear response, and the guilt response.

An example would be extreme abuse and humiliation of a child when they were growing up. Not likely that all people that don't experience guilt/remorse/fear were born that way. It's not a guarantee they will hurt anyone in their lifetimes either, but it does make it more likely, by statistics.

There is a group of behaviors in a child called the McDonalds Triad that is suggested to be predictive of potential socio/psychopathic behavior and they are fire starting, killing of small animals and bedwetting after the age of five.

One might ask why bed wetting after the age five is part of this. But, it is just a statistical relationship. Bedwetting after age 5 taken by itself is not a predictive factor. In some cases bedwetting after the age of age 5 can result in a great deal of humiliation, some suspect that may be part of the connection as an environmental factor. Some also suggest firestarting and killing of small animals as the only way some children can release agression from abuse, which would also be an environmental factor.

There is still a question here of genetics though; in some cases it is the parents responsible for the cruel abuse; if they have the inability to feel remorse as they abuse their own children, it is possible they have brain differences that impact psychopathy and the children they abuse have the genetic traits, also. A harsh reality of nature, if that is the case.

I would say psychopathy is made, and it clearly says in a article that it comes from an aggressive family, peers and other social situations, also from a father that is not around and an over consuming mother. This enrages me because this f**k that i use to hang out with knew these things and continued to treat me like s**t. Including his friends. He always outcast ed me in social situations.

If he does know this, I am pissed. My life is f*****g hell now because of him. Do you know how it feels not to be able to f*****g see anything infront of you? I am so affected by this. Do you know what it feels like to be lazy and have no motivation.

This guy has ruined my life. THIS SUCKS. This is only the beginning. f**k PEOPLE, especially the ones who know what they are doing. That is only the beginning he had a friend who tortured animals. really? This friend also treated me like s**t. They were pretty much a duo. It only escalated from there. As much as I hate the guy right now, I don't know if I will actually hate him. Maybe one day.
I really hope he didnt know what he was doing.

It is estimated that 1% of the population is composed of socio/psychopaths; if you have come across one, hopefully you won't come across anymore. But, from your experience, you may understand whom to avoid in the future.

As far as your current problems, I suggest you talk to someone you feel like you can trust about them. If you don't have anyone close to you, you feel you can trust, and are still in school there might be a counselor attached that might help you in that respect.

Good luck.